Aurora Theater / The Golden Sheaf Building

2081 Addison Street, Berkeley, CA

The Aurora Theater was a restoration of a historic facade and interior re-configuration of a 1905 bakery building known as The Golden Sheaf. Long abandoned and deemed difficult to reconfigure and make usable, The Bay Architects conceived and created several floors within its building shell to accommodate a theater, classrooms and offices for the Berkeley Rep Children's Theater. A passageway was also provided through the Golden Sheaf for the Aurora Theater located in an adjacent building. The Bay Architects, in collaboration with Angell and Rawlinson, designed the lobby and a 150-seat theater space for the Aurora Theater. Major excavation and reconfiguration was required to connect the theater with a ground level entry through the Golden Sheaf building.